9 Eidolon

   Time is a cruel mistress. It uses things and leaves them behind in the sea of what once was. Eidola, (plural for eidolon) fits into this category. The phenomenon comes from a singular area of the world, the ancient city of Troy. Warren doesn’t know it yet, but he is a descendant of the first eidolon wielder, Helen of Troy.

    Nerea covered her mouth and whispered a prayer. Plume continued to watch the bestial energy as Warren walked out of the circle. “Warren how are you feeling?” Plume shouted.

    While the eidolon provided Warren with enhanced attributes. It came at a terrible price. The eidolon, starved for life, grappled with his mind and he fell to his knees thick beads of sweat dripped down the pale forehead, “This thing wants to wear me like a suit. How do I turn it off?” his hands clapped the side of his head, and he grimaced. 

    Nerea shook Plume in panic, “How do you make it stop?” 

    Plume’s voice warbled in pitch and cadence as Nerea continued to shake him, “Let go, and let me do my job, Ms. Vasquez. I can’t do anything with you shaking me like this.” Plume disengaged Nerea, and stepped up to the wall of light, “Warren, you have to walk back to the circle, I can’t do anything with you outside of it.”

    “Easy for you to say, weakling. You are not the one locked in mental combat with this thing.”

    “Do you want to be trapped behind the aura?” Plume shouted, his fists clenched with hope. “You can do it,” he whispered under his breath.

    The eidolon fought to keep Warren in place, “It was you in the darkness, the whole time wasn’t it?” Warren's leg shook violently as he raised it and took a step forward. The effort left him drained. He took several deep breaths before he managed a second step. “I was here first. I own the property, you are paying rent,” On the last word, he raised his left leg in a Herculean effort.

     The sneakers touched the cement, the eidolon attacked anew. Warren took a knee and gathered his strength for the next step. “My life belongs to me,” the impossible weight of his legs and shoes made him falter halfway through the next big push forward. 

   Nerea smacked Plume on the shoulder, “We have to cheer him on. Melanie always said he loved the roar of the crowd.” She cupped her hands over her mouth. “Come on, Warren, push to the goal.” She punched Plume in the shoulder again, “Well don’t just stand there, help.”

  Flawless hands cupped over Plume’s bow-like mouth, “You can’t let it win. Do you want to spend all your time looking human while acting like an animal?”

   The eidolon crashed against his thoughts desperate to gain control. Warren’s ragged breaths stopped and he grunted with all of his might. His foot landed in the glowing circle. Big stains appeared in the armpit area of the t-shirt. “Just a couple more steps.”

   “Do you quit on a breakaway, Warren? Do you pass the puck when there’s an empty net? It’s all your quality, finish the job,” Nerea cheered as loud as her voice allowed.

   “I have no idea what you just said, but it’s exciting,” Plume said as he raised his fist, “Warren you are so close, don’t give up, fight on. Two more steps, that’s all you need, two more steps.”

  Their words encouraged Warren to press on against the impossible odds he faced, “I know you helped me try to save mom. We would be so much stronger if we worked together.” He could feel the Eidolon ease back a little, just enough to allow him to take the next step.

   The aura began to shrink. “I’ll start the chant,” Plume raced to the line.

   “What if he doesn’t make it?” Nerea’s voice went beyond worry.

   “I have seen two eidola in my three thousand years. One was taken immediately by the aura beast, the other died trying to gain control. Warren has exceeded them both. He will make it.” Plume stood on the translucent line and cried out, “Come on Warren, finish the job.”

   Nerea raised her voice with plume, “Your mother is looking down from heaven, what would she tell you if she were here.”

   Warren took a deep breath and prepared to move, the eidolon clawed at his mind desperate to find a foothold or even a toe hold. He stared at the center of the circle, one step felt like a thousand miles. “She’d say: Anything worth having is earned, and if necessary hard fought for.” With a great heave, he threw his body forward and fell prone into the center of the circle.

  Plume slammed his foot down on the line, the circle glowed bright and the eidolon let out a shriek powerful enough to shatter windows. Little by little it returned to whence it came. The barrier of light faded. Great tendrils of steam rose off Warren’s body, and his clothes felt like they were on fire. 

   Nerea cleared the barrier and cradled Warren in her arms, “It’s okay, guapito, I have you now. You scared me there for a minute.” She ran a hand through his sweaty locks and kissed his forehead, tears glistened in her eyes.

  “I have some bad news for you both,” Plume’s tone sat on the edge of self-hatred, and he frowned as he spoke. “The eidolon is an S class magical ability. S class abilities are considered too dangerous to be trained in a human city.”

   “What does that mean?” weakness took over Warren's young body. His legs wobbled worse than jello, as he rose to his feet.

   Nerea glared at Plume, “Why didn’t you tell us when we walked in?”

   “I suspected Warren was an S class, I had no proof until the eidolon revealed itself. You saw how much of a struggle it was for him. Eidolon is considered a magical entity and falls under Seelie jurisdiction. Since the eidolon is attached to Warren, the law includes him.”

   “Where will you take him?” Nerea asked in a fierce tone, her fists were raised.

    “He will be taken to New Avalon city on the west coast, where the finest spell crafters will help him control his magic,” Plume did not sound happy about it. 

    “I am coming with him,” Nerea’s voice left no room for argument, “I will deal with the consequences.”

    Warren gave a weak smile and said, “Road trip.”